Pulling Heartstrings
by Whimscal Emmycorn
Summary: Vinyl is caught between two ponies she cares about: Octavia and Neon Lights. She wants to be more to Octavia, but wanting to lose her friendship to Neon.


Vinyl wished she could play the cello. Then maybe she could win the affection of her heart's desire. Whenever she saw Octavia stroking the strings on her instrument, Vinyl wondered if that bow was cutting her heart. Why that damn cello and not her? She felt the cello's strings wrapping around her neck, tightening into a noose, Octavia's bow posed at her throat. Was the pain really that unbearable, though? Or was it all in her mindj? Get a grip Vinyl. At the moment, she was in their shared apartment, Octavia playing close to the window. They called their small home "The Studio". Their home was the top floor of an apartement building. The neighbors complained about Vinyl's music constantly. However, their landpony had rented to them knowing about the music.

Octavia's half of the apartment was classy like her musical taste. Her musical taste. Simple color sceme of grey, black and white. Her bedroom was more of the same. The only thing keeping it interesting was the sheet music Octavia like to frame of great pony composers. Vinyl's share of the apartment was noghting like her roommate. Clutter claimed every flat surface and technical equipment took most of her desk. She had a strict time schedule where she could not 'blare' Octavia awake. Vinyl was fine with that since Octavia had financed their home. On their fridge, their was a board of gig and concert dates for both musicians. Although their music were on different poles of taste, the two mares lived great together. Their friendship was the whole opposites attract thing.

"Viinyl?"

Vinyl looked up to see Octavia staring at her. The dj realized she had been staring at the celloist first. "Yeah, Octavia?"

"What is wrong? You look like you could be sick. Are you feeling unwell?"

Yes, she was sick. Sick pretending she didn't have feelings for Octi. But, Vinyl didn't see any signs that Octavia felt that way. "Nah, just nursing a hangover."

The flip side of Vinyl's life was Neon. Unlike the classy Octavia, he shared the love of bass, wubs and a wicked beat. The vocabulary of their work did not have be explained every other two sentences. Neon could keep up with Vinyl and in some instances, he could beat her. She would never in Celestia's rule would tell him that. Vinyl was convinced he was in love with her. When she wasn't at home or gigs, she was with Neon. If it wasn't for Octavia-she could possibly love him back. Walking towards the door, that was where she headed.

"Why do you always leave?"

Vinyl whirled around, an earth pony glaring at her. What the hell? "What do you mean?"

"Why do you always go hang out with him?"

Hang out? What the buck. She had never heard Octavia talk like that. Ever.

"Octi, what's wrong? For Celestia's sake, you don't talk like that." Vinyl pushed up her shades, looking the cellist square in the eyes.

Octavia stared back, standing her ground. "What is wrong that I can't get my best friend to stay and hang. You always have to "chill" with that stallion." On the word chill, she raised her bow at Vinyl.

"Because you care more about that damn cello then my music! Neon plays the same style as me! We turn on the same table so to speak."

"Do you love him?"

Vinyl just stood there, frozen. What brought Octavia to ask that? Vinyl didn't see the point of pretending anymore. Bringing her eyes to the floor she said it. "No, I don't love Neon. I love you, Octavia."

She hadn't given Octavia a chance to respond. The heartache could come later, when she would never see that cello again. Octavia couldn't feel the same, could she? What had drove the proper pony to say that? It had she fired a laser at Vinyl, threatening to kill her until she gave up. The unicorn had given up. She had layed it all on the line. All the sold out gigs couldn't hold a flame to Octavia. She could come back to her home stripped of it's dull black and white décor. The cello could be gone, the fridge bare of her hoof written notes and schedules. Why was she on the way to ruin the other side, then? Slamming the door to Neon's studio, she could see him running as well. Looking into his eyes, she finally realized her glasses were still up. In this space they had shared before, vulnerable for the first time. Even if she had shared her souls in song with Neon, she had never completely showed him all of her before. Was this a mistake? No. He had to know the truth.

"Vinyl, your shades.." He began, then the rest fell short.

"Neon, do you have feelings for me?"

"Vinyl.."

"Give it to me straight, Neon."

"Yes, I have feelings for you.

"I'm sorry, Neon. I don't feel the same. I love Octavia."

"I know. I hate that. She will never appreciate your music like I will, Vinyl. All she cares about is strings. Where's the beat in that?"

"In my heart. Wheter you understand it or not, those strings are the reason I'm alive. Yeah, I like to party, love bass and will always wear these shades. But I still cry to her music."

"Well whether you love her or not, I'm still getting this." He galloped up to her side, smacking her on the lips. As she tried to pull away, he kept her in place until he took his lips away from hers. "Even if you didn't kiss back, I still got the kiss I wanted." He smiled devilishly at her.

She smirked back. "Does that count as sexual harassment?" They laughed together for a minute then she asked, "Are we ok, then?"

"We'll always be ok, dj. You're my best friend. There is no way I'm losing my musical partner in crime."

After a hoof-bump, Vinyl trotted out the studio door, wondering if she should go back home. If Octi was gone, at least she still had Neon left in her life. He seemed a little depressed, but understanding. Could her classy roommate be the same? Nah, she couldn't. Could she? Climbing the starirs to the top floor, the dj didn't see any boxes. That was a good sign at least. Getting to the roof, she still didn't see any signs that Octavia had left. Reaching her door, she saw a purple bow tie on the door. Octavia didn't wear purple. What the hell? The only thing Vinyl could think that was purple were her shades, which were still up. Turning the knob, she pushed her glasses over her eyes. She heard hooves on the floor, then before she knew it, Octavia was kissing het? She pushed Octavia away enough to look into the mare's eyes.

"Octi, what are you doing?"

"Kissing you. I love you, Vinyl."

"No, you don't. You love that cello."

"Why can't I love both? You love your wubs, bass and other equipment. I love my cello just the same as that. It's just an instrument, it can't love me back like you do." T

he cellist lifted the shades off her dj's face. She gently kissed Vinyl again, this time Vinyl didn't push Octavia away. When their lips parted, Vinyl glanced down to see Octavia's tie was purple like on the door.

"What happened to your tie? I thought it was pink."

"I bough a purple one to match your glasses. I want everyone to know I belong to djpon-3."

"Damn it Octavia, why gotta pull my heartstrings like that."

She batted her eyes at Vinyl. "Ddin't you hear? You are my new cello, dear and I'll play you however I want."


End file.
